Oklahoma tourism bounces back post-pandemic

OKLAHOMA. WELCOME BACK IN AND BOUNCING BACK FROM THE PANDEMIC BEEN A GOAL OF THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM RECREATION. AND NEW NUMBERS. THE STATE IS BOUNCING BACK AND STRONG. SO HERE WITH US TODAY TO BREAK DOWN SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS AND ALL THE EXCITING THINGS IN OUR FUTURE IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHELLY. WHILE SHELLY, WELCOME IN. HEY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. EXCITING TO BE HERE. ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE STATE AS A WHOLE FIRST. HOW HAS THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA REALLY ATTEMPTING TO BOUNCE BACK FROM FROM THAT PANDEMIC DIP IN TOURISM? YEAH, DEFINITELY. I THINK I HAVE AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE. AFTER SERVING IN OSD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC, THEN SEEING THE OUTCOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE MADE DURING THAT TIME TO REALLY BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS, WE’RE ONE OF THE FEW STATES IN THE NATION THAT HAVE ACTUALLY THAT DIRECT VISITOR NUMBER FROM 2019. AND WE HAVE A RECORD BREAKING BREAKING $10.1 BILLION AND SPENDING FOR 2021. AND OF COURSE I CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR IT. I JUST GET TO TALK ABOUT IT. I WASN’T AT THE AGENCY, BUT THE IMPORTANT PIECE. I THINK THAT HOLISTICALLY A STATE WE CAN BE REALLY PROUD OF AND MAYBE I PLAYED A SMALL PART IN, IS THAT THAT REALLY EQUATES ALMOST 20 MILLION VISITORS TO THE STATE AND 100,000 JOBS. AND OUR BEAUTIFUL. WHY DO YOU THINK THOSE NUMBERS ARE GAINING TRACTION HERE. WHAT WHAT WHAT KIND OF DRAWS DOES OKLAHOMA HAVE? WHY ARE PEOPLE COMING HERE IN TERMS OF TOURISM? YEAH, I THINK IT’S AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE TO HAVE REALLY, BECAUSE I THINK THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE REALLY VALUED PRE-PANDEMIC AND MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND HUGE CITIES WITH LARGE POPULOUS AS YOU KNOW AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MAYBE OKLAHOMA DIDN’T THAT NECESSARILY WE WERE LEADING THE PACK IN YOU KNOW THE PANDEMIC CHANGED AND I THINK PEOPLE PRIES WIDE OPEN SPACES. I THINK THEY PRIZE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES. I THINK THEY PRIZE THE ABILITY TO REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY’RE OUT IN NATURE AND KNOW SEEING ALL THE THINGS THAT OKLAHOMA IS REALLY OF, EVEN IF IT’S NOT ABOUT OUR STATE PARKS, IT’S ABOUT THE UNIQUENESS OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN PAWHUSKA WITH THE PIONEER WOMAN. YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE A REALLY UNIQUE SET OF ATTRACTIONS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, TOPOGRAPHY THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE NATION. AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THAT WE’RE NOT JUST A FLYOVER STATE. WE’RE ACTUALLY A DESTINATION. AND THAT’S REALLY EXCITING. I JUST WANT TO GET SPECIFIC ON REALLY QUICK HERE. BRIEFLY, HAD NUMBERS THAT 3.8 BILLION IN ECONOMIC TOURISM FOR OKC SPECIFICALLY IN 2021. DO YOU KNOW THOSE NUMBERS COMPARE TO PRE-PANDEMIC 2019, THINGS LIKE THAT? YOU KNOW, I DON’T. OFF THE TOP MY HEAD. BUT I’D MAKE A GUESS BECAUSE CITY IS OUR LARGEST CITY THAT THAT IS A HUGE PART OF THAT 10.1 BILLION. AND I CAN CHECK MAYOR HOLT JUST TO DOUBLE CHECK. BUT I THINK PRETTY CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT WE DEFINITELY SURPASSED A LOT OF WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE IN THE MOMENTUM HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND DO YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS COMING IN OUR FUTURE THAT WILL HELP THESE NUMBERS EVEN MORE? LET’S GET SPECIFIC HERE. WHAT ARE SOME THAT ARE COMING UP? YEAH, I THINK THAT THE TOP LINE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE ROUTE 66 CELEBRATION. AND THE CENTENNIAL IS 2026 AND OKLAHOMA IS IN A REALLY UNIQUE POSITION AND THAT WE HAVE OVER 400 MILES OF ROUTE 66. AND YOU KNOW, OUR STATE THAT’S COMPARATIVELY YOU KNOW, DOESN’T HAVE AS MANY MILES AS OTHER STATES THAT HAVE LESS OF ROUTE 66. SO WE’RE RIGHT IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO BE REALLY TAKING OF THAT CENTENNIAL. WE’VE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE NATION COME AND VISIT AND WE ACTUALLY JUST HIT OVER A MILLION VISITORS. WE TRACK THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A ROUTE 66 PASSPORT THAT YOU CAN EITHER GET IN YOUR HAND IF THAT’S WHAT YOU LIKE OR CAN GET DIGITALLY AND YOU CAN GET IT STAMPED AT EVERY LOCATION. ROUTE 66. AND WE’VE SEEN PEOPLE AS FAR AWAY AS POLAND AND JAPAN REALLY EMBRACING THIS. AND GETTING EXCITED TO SEE OKLAHOMA’S SPECIFICALLY. AND THAT JUST KIND OF GIVES MORE CREDENCE TO WHAT I WAS SAYING EARLIER. OKLAHOMA REALLY IS A UNIQUE PLACE THAT PEOPLE YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT WHEN PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR STATE BOUNDARIES SEE WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, THEY’RE REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC AND THEY KEEP COMING BACK. AND SO YOU’VE KIND OF ANSWERED MY QUESTION WITH SOME OF YOUR ANSWER. BUT REALLY, I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU FIND THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN TO TRY AND DRAW TOURISM? YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVEN’T BEEN AT THE JOB A LONG ENOUGH. I THAT LIKE I’M SUPER KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT THE CONTINUED CHALLENGES ARE. I THINK THAT YOU KNOW JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PRIZING OKLAHOMA OUR ASSETS THAT WE HAVE WE HAVE 11 DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS HERE AND TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM FRESH EYES AND, I THINK THAT’S THE PERSPECTIVE I BRING. THERE’S GOING TO BE CHALLENGES. THERE’S ALWAYS CHALLENGES. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OVER 30 STATE PROPERTIES THAT WE MANAGE AND OVER 700 EMPLOYEES. THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO BETTER THAT WE CAN KEEP IMPROVING ON. BUT BEING SAID, I THINK AS A WHOLE, TOURISM IN, OUR STATE HAS REALLY TAKE THOSE TAKEN OPPORTUNITY THAT THE PANDEMIC AND GROWN LEAPS AND BOUNDS SINCE THEN. AND JUST LAST QUESTION HERE AND I’M NOT SURE IF WE ABOUT THIS IN THE FIRST QUESTION, BUT WHERE DOES TOURISM RANK IN TERMS OF THE MONEY MAKING CAPACITY FOR THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION. I’M SUPER YOU ASKED THAT. WE ARE ACTUALLY THE STATE’S THIRD LARGEST INDUSTRY. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ARE BRINGING TO, YOU KNOW, TO SUPPORT THE STATE, IT REALLY IS ONE OF THOSE INDUSTRY THAT IT’S EXCITING TALK ABOUT, BUT IT’S ALSO EXCITING TO SEE FLOURISH. IT MEANS WE’RE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS. OKAY SHELLY I’M GLAD I ASKED THAT, TOO. HAVE GREAT DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON.

Oklahoma tourism bounces back post-pandemic

Tourism and Recreation government director breaks down state numbers

Updated: 10:55 AM CST Jan 13, 2023

Oklahoma tourism numbers have bounced back because the pandemic, with new numbers exhibiting the state getting back to pre-pandemic numbers.Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation government director Shelley Zumwalt broke down the numbers.Click the video above to look at the complete interview.

Oklahoma tourism numbers have bounced back because the pandemic, with new numbers exhibiting the state getting back to pre-pandemic numbers.

Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation government director Shelley Zumwalt broke down the numbers.

Click the video above to look at the complete interview.